The Midsummer Shakespeare Festival is an annual Claremont tradition that draws hundreds of visitors each year to Pomona College’s Sontag Greek Theatre. The festival, which artfully presents tragedy and comedy under the stars in a beautiful outdoor setting, is the result of a partnership between Pomona College and Ophelia's Jump Productions, a nonprofit theatre company operating in Claremont and Upland.
Pomona College is happy to welcome visitors to Sontag Greek Theatre, an ideal location for the festival that was founded in 2014 by Ophelia's Jump. The Midsummer Shakespeare Festival provides an excellent opportunity to support the arts in Claremont. Each summer, the festival has grown, drawing attendance from all over California and from states as far as New York. Pomona College has proudly sponsored the festival since its founding, and in 2019 became a Festival co-producer.
About Ophelia's Jump
Ophelia’s Jump Productions is a non-profit, performing arts theatre producing plays, staged readings and the Midsummer Shakespeare Festival, and hosting youth and adult improv and acting classes. Ophelia's Jump was founded by artists and educators who believe that the purpose of theatre is to create unending conversations, spark imagination, incite conscience and elicit a visceral response. In addition to producing internationally-recognized, award-winning shows, Ophelia's Jump is committed to investing in their community's creative and intellectual life by working with local emerging artists.
2023 Festival
The 2023 Midsummer Shakespeare Festival will feature Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare. Performances will be held at 8 p.m. on July 13-16 and 20-23 with pre-show entertainment beginning at 7 p.m. Gates open early for picnicking, and guests are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs for their comfort. Tickets are on sale now.
Past Festivals
- 2014: The Merry Wives of Windsor; Macbeth
- 2015: Twelfth Night; Titus Andronicus
- 2016: A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Othello
- 2017: Much Ado About Nothing; Hamlet
- 2018: As You Like It; Romeo and Juliet: An ASL Love Story
- 2019: The Taming of the Shrew; The Adventures of Pericles, Prince of Tyre
- 2020: Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021: Twelfth Night
- 2022: The Winter's Tale